Road Traffic Awareness Research Paper

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Introduction Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States (US) each year. In fact, road traffic accidents are thought to be in the top ten causes of death in the US, suggesting a crisis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to discuss road traffic accidents and how individuals cope with the trauma associated. More specifically, this paper will describe the traumatic responses of individuals who is seriously injured in a road traffic accident. Post-accident, one traumatic response that an individual may develop is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In order to reduce the traumatic response of PTSD, after an accident, an effective intervention called Cognitive …show more content…

Generally speaking, teens are more likely to be involved in a serious road traffic accident than older adults because they have a tendency to speed and drive while under the influence. In relation to gender, research suggests that male drivers are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident An individual involved in a road traffic accident may physically suffer from chronic pain after the accident. Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for 3 – 6 months and causes significant difficulty in the individual’s daily functioning. Chronic pain of an individual may also be associated with a physical disability that resulted from the accident. The presence of chronic pain for some may represent the traumatic event which for many may eventually lead to psychological worries in the future (Gibbs, …show more content…

PTSD is a response of anxiety or stress that results from being directly or indirectly involved in a traumatic event. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a compilation of symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance and hyper – arousal that persists for one month or more (Thompson, Wilde, Boon, 2009). Early intervention in detecting symptoms of PTSD is imperative to recovery efforts. However, detecting symptoms of PTSD may be difficult as they may manifest either immediately or even months after the accident. The development of PTSD following a road traffic accident occurs at a rate of between 7% and 40% of all individuals injured (Thompson, et. al,

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